


Mischief Management

by FlamingBlueEyes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Coming of Age, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:01:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24116932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlamingBlueEyes/pseuds/FlamingBlueEyes
Summary: We have all heard about the Marauder's. We know of their tragic ending, but what about their beginning? Who were James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter before Harry, Dumbledore, and Voldemort?This is a story of strangers who became friends, children who became adults, but most importantly this is a story of wizards who became legends.__Tags will be added as story progresses. Disclaimers and layout explanation are the first chapter if you want to skip it.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Explanation of Layout

**Author's Note:**

> **So to make sure everyone understands how this is going to be posted I'm making a chapter dedicated to it because I hate having to explain things multiple times**

###  THE LAYOUT OF THIS FIC AS WELL AS IMPORTANT INFORMATION

I. First Year _(1971-1972)_  
a. **Part 1** (Theme is: Sorting Hat)  
1\. James  
2\. Sirius  
3\. Peter  
4\. Remus  
b. **Part 2**  
1\. Sirius  
2\. James  
3\. Remus  
4\. Peter  
c. **Part 3**  
1\. Sirius  
2\. James  
3\. Remus  
4\. Peter  
d. **Part 4**  
1\. Sirius  
2\. James  
3\. Remus  
4\. Peter  
e. **Part 5**  
1\. Sirius  
2\. James  
3\. Remus  
4\. Peter

Basically this starts again each year. There is a 2 page limit on each Marauder's section so that all the boys get the same amount of document space per part even though I am pretty sure I could write two full length novels on Remus Lupin alone. It is also **important** to note that the order the Marauder's sections change each Part. Everyone gets a chance to begin and end a section (even if Peter Pettigrew doesn't deserve it) 

I will be uploading this by part ( ~~dear god it's going to be 35 "chapters"~~ ), so the chapters drop down menu should look something like:

First Year (DATES)  
Part Two (Title/Theme)  
Part Three (Title/Theme)  
Part Four (Title/Theme)  
Part 5 (Title/Theme)  
Second Year (DATES)

The section that is labeled with the year will have Part 1 of that year. The titles/theme for those parts will be in the actual chapter. 

The reason for this is because (if you don't want to do the math) each Year would be around 40 pages ( ~~dear lord this has gotten out of hand~~ ), and sometimes I like to go back and reread specific chapters of my favorite fics, so maybe some of you guys do too. This way each part is only 8 pages, which is way easier to read than a 40 page brick of info. Plus it means I can probably update more easily because the chapters are much more manageable. 

**FOR NOW** I am only planning to write up to their 7th year. I am not planning to write in to their adult lives ( ~~because your girl is an adult who needs to get a paying job~~ ), but if this goes well hell I could probably be convinced who knows. 

#### DISCLAIMER:

For this fic there are several things to note  
**1.)** Anything outside of the Harry Potter original books written by JK Rowling/anything JK Rowling has said in an interview will **NOT** be considered canon for this fic. So Cursed Child? throw it away. Anything in the Harry Potter app? tossed out. Honestly that stuff screwed up the timeline so much more, and made it nearly impossible to follow. 

**2.)** I have added a shit ton of OC's to make this as realistic as possible. They will not heavily influence the boys (I don't plan on having the boys seriously date any OC's, nor do I plan to have any main rivals outside the ones mentioned in the canon universe). However, they will be referred to every now and then for plot. Also I've given everyone _parents_ because this isn't a Disney film where everyone is just doing their own shit. I know Harry was an orphan, but James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were not. While JK hasn't talked much about their parents, I've added them in and portrayed them how I think they would be. 

Before you ask, YES i have an appendix with every OC I have created, their House, their main shtick (Quiddich player, sixth-year asshole, DADA teacher, ect.) and blood-type (Pure/Half/Mud). (I have no clue if y'all really understand how much work went into this monster of a hobby)

 **3.)** I will try to remember trigger warnings at the beginning of each Part that has trigger warnings, but if I forget please leave a note. I can guarantee there will be NO mentions of rape/sexual assault in this story, but I will warn now that as the years progress (much like in the Harry Potter books) the awareness of the violence around the boy's becomes more present in their lives. They are living through a war so there will be descriptions of events that happen during war (deaths, attacks on innocents, bigots, extremists, ect.)

 **4.)** There are some things I have CHANGED because JK either was unclear about them or made them not make sense. For example, in my story McGonagall is both a student and a teacher while the boys are at Hogwarts (she is in her final or 6th year when they are in their first year). Bellatrix, and honestly most of the Blacks, were at school (briefly or for the long-run depending on the character) while the boys were there. The DADA position is already cursed when the boys start at Hogwarts (honestly Tom Riddles whole timeline is a shitshow of confusion). So on and so forth. 

**5.)** Peter Pettigrew is an enigma to everyone including JK Rowling. He has parents but she hasn't even named/described them. He was a student of McGonagall and she HATED him, but there's nothing about his academics. What this means is he is a blank slate for me. I have written him as close to character as I can get, but if you have any feelings about him (or any of the Marauder's) personalities feel free to comment any thoughts you might have on them. Also I SUCK at writing asshole characters, and we know that James and Sirius were pricks when they were younger. Again I have tried to get them as close to character as possible. If you do not like how I've written them, don't leave hate. You are entitled to your opinion, but I don't have to hear it if you're going to write it rudely.

Thank you for reading through this. I know a lot of people skip over anything that's not the story, but I really appreciate it. If you did read all this leave a "Hey" in the comments, so I can fully appreciate you and your patience.


	2. First Year (1971-1972)

### First Year (1971-1972)

#### Part 1

#### An Owl

 _James_  
It was a lazy morning in the Potter house as eleven-year-old James Potter watched his father sip his morning coffee. The man’s glasses fogged up every time he lifted his mug towards his lips, and the sight caused a smile to form on James’ face. “James what have I told you about staring?” Fleamont asked without looking up from his copy of The Daily Prophet.

“Oh come now love. He’s just excited aren’t you James?” Euphemia, his mother, said as she stepped out of the kitchen with her own cup of earl grey in hand.  


Fleamont placed his mug on the side table, smiling at his son. The expression emphasised the deepening crows feet in the corners of his eyes. However, the glint of amusement that lay behind his glasses distracted from the feature. He leaned back in his chair. Giving his greying hair a gentle scratch, he smiled at his only son. “I remember when I got my Hogwarts letter-“

“Dad!” 

“Oh love not again. We’ve heard you’re retelling at least twenty times.” Euphemia took a seat on the couch, hiding a smile behind her Chudley Cannon’s cup. 

“Are you sure it’s going to come? I mean Matilda Raywater got hers two weeks ago.”

“Who knows? Maybe Hogwarts has decided to not send out letters to people whose entire family, for the past eight generations has gone to that school.” Fleamont teased.  


At that moment a tapping noise on the living room window caught the attention of the family. Euphemia saw James bolt upright and run to the window. “I’ll get it! I’ve got it!” James called as he rushed to the other side of the room. 

“Treats James!” Euphemia called when James ran out of the room. He rushed back to the fireplace after remembering the last time he answered the post without a treat for the owl. After giving the owl the tiny morsel, he quickly rushed to sit by his mother on the couch.  


“Mr. J. Potter-mom do you think it’s the school?” James asked. Euphemia didn’t get a word in before her son was ripping into the letter. He pulled out two sheets of parchment. “Dear Mr. James Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry- mom I got in!” James threw the letters to the side to throw his arms around his mom. Euphemia laughed as Fleamont came over to the couch to join in on the hug.  


“Are you sure it’s for you James? Potter is a popular last name.” 

“Fleamont leave the boy alone.” Euphemia said pointedly.

“I mean should we even let him go? He doesn’t seem too excited about it.” Fleamont continued the playful glint still in his eyes.

“I want to go! I want to go! Mom tell dad I can!” James said jumping up from the couch.  


Euphemia crossed her arms and pretended to think on it. “I don’t know. Your father has a point James. I mean you were doubting Headmaster Dippet’s ability to get the letters out. Plus magic can be dangerous. I mean what if you join a Quiddich team or something-”

“Mom. You were on a Quiddich team.” James said, catching onto their game.

“Correction James, your mom was the Quiddich team. Without her the Ravenclaw team would have been destroyed every game-”

“Our Seeker wasn’t that bad.” Euphemia said with a scowl.

“Your mom was the best Chaser at school-could have gone professional if she wanted to.”

“Oh Flea, stop.” Euphemia flushed at her husband’s flattery.

“See I have to go to Hogwarts so that I can become the best Chaser ever-like mom!” James said with a smile that seemed to light up Fleamont and Euphemia’s entire room.  


The two parents shared a look, and Fleamont stood to grab something from the closet. When he turned back around he was smiling wide. “Well you’re going to have a hard time becoming the best Chaser ever without this.” He pulled a broom from the closet. Rushing over, James grabbed it and gasped.  


“Dad this is the newest Comet model!” His fingers ran over _Comet-3000_ , which was etched into the broom handle. James immediately ran outside to test it out. He mounted, and sped off into the sky. Fleamont stood in the doorway, a crinkled smile on his face.  


A second later Euphemia rushed out, her own broom in hand. “Oh come on Flea!” She called as she bolted into the air, easily catching up with James. Together they chased each other, and did tricks in the air. Fleamont eventually joined them, although he was much more uncomfortable on the broom. James felt the wind rush through his hair, and he couldn’t help but laugh into the wind. 

_Sirius_  
Sirius Black sat quietly at the dinner table that was far too long for only four people. “ _Should Mudbloods be allowed to preform magic? There’s no evidence that they’re as magically gifted as Purebloods, and what could it mean for our children should we allow the blood lines to keep getting dirty? How many Muggles does it take to wipe the magic from the bloodline completely? These are the questions we need to ask._ ” Regulus Black took a moment to breathe before continuing reading the article of the night. “ _Should we not receive answers to these questions, the Purebloods must take it upon themselves to ensure that magic prevails. In a world where mixing blood with Muggles and Squibs is becoming more acceptable, we must remember our roots and stick to our traditions._ ”  


Sirius looked at the food on his plate, suddenly losing all interest in it. Regulus’s voice became a noise in the background as Sirius’s thoughts started to drift. He pushed his peas around his plate, occasionally making pictures and then ruining them. He began making a smiley face when his mother spoke up.  


“Sirius are you listening?” Walburga snapped, her eyes glaring into Sirius full of the knowledge that her eldest was not absorbing any of the lesson. Orion Black, his father, looked disappointed at his eldest son. However, this disappointment was only further set in by the annoyance in his younger brother’s face.  


“Yes mother, I’m paying attention.” Sirius said putting down his fork and placing his hands in his lap. Sirius didn’t look up from his hands until Regulus continued reading. However, he didn’t get much farther before Kreature was appearing in the room with a letter in hand. Walburga held up a hand to pause the lesson.  


“Mistress told Kreature to come should a letter arrive for Master Sirius.” The house-elf said in his usual rasp. Kreature handed her the letter, to which she frowned.  


“Sirius it appears your letter from Hogwarts has come.” She said disdainfully as she looked at the seal on the back. “It’s awfully late this year. One would think such an establishment would be a bit more prompt with its deliveries. Kreature put the list of school supplies away for now. You’ll go pick up the necessary items tomorrow.” 

“I thought-“ Sirius immediately shut his mouth.

“You thought what?” Walburga asked coldly. 

“I thought I-I would be going to Diagon Ally to pick up my own supplies.”

“Oh please Sirius. You’ll go to Olivander’s with your father, and the rest will be picked at much better shops than the ones in Diagon Ally.” She said with an eye roll. Holding the letter out, Kreature put his hands out to receive it. As the house elf left the room, Walburga cleared her throat. “Honestly Sirius to think that you would be shopping at Half-blood owned stores is beneath you. You are a Black, which means you deserve better than whatever those blood traitors are going to provide.”

“I heard that Madame Malkin has started training a Squib in her shop.” Orion said passively.

“Why would she want a Squib’s help? They would have to do everything by hand.” Regulus asked, sitting down.

“Sometimes wizards and witches get the idea that Muggles might be better at some things because they do them by hand. There is no evidence to show it’s right.” Orion replied.

“Besides that woman has too open of a heart. Ever since her husband died and she lost her child, she’s been taking in all kinds of riffraff.” Walburga added.  


Sirius stared at his family. Even at the ripe young age of eleven, he found himself wondering a thought that felt too bold for him. _What if our families are wrong?_ The thought was prevented from growing as Walburga stood. “I’ll be retiring to the library.”

“Are you already finished with dinner?” Orion asked slightly surprised.

“This discussion has left a bitter taste in my mouth.” She replied as she left the room.  


Regulus stood. “I think I’ll retire to my room. Good night father.” With the same stance, Sirius watched his brother leave the room. His nose was held high in the air, and his back was stick straight. Orion made a grunt as he stood and left. As the dining room door closed, and Sirius was left alone, he wondered again, _What if our families are wrong?_

_Peter_  
Peter was a quiet boy. He enjoyed watching people, and seeing what things made them tick. His mother, for example, went into a rage whenever she noticed her flowers were messed with. His father, disliked dirt or dust upon his suits. The neighbor, an elderly woman called Mrs. Minnow, was obsessed with her dog despite its obnoxious attitude. The list of observations went on.  


When he received his letter, he was sitting in the bushes that separated him from his neighbor, Elaine’s, house. She and her brother, Abraham, had built a tree house that summer, and Peter was incredibly jealous of it. Elaine was a Muggle girl, a couple years younger than Peter. She had frizzy black hair and a gap between her two front teeth. In Peter’s opinion, she was quite an ugly girl. However, she made the most hilarious noise when she got scared.  


One time Elaine and her brother had found a snake in their yard. Elaine made a noise that sounded like a mixture of a hiccup and a donkey. The sound had Peter in a fit of laughter so bad that he ended up getting the hiccups himself.  


However out of all the people little Peter Pettigrew knew, Elaine’s brother was the most annoying of them all because nothing ever made him tick. When Elaine saw the snake and made her legendary sound, her brother had just picked her up and moved her away from the snake. When Elaine accidentally crashed his bike into a tree, completely ruining the front, Abraham had just laughed. He rode the bike, and said the dents gave it “character”.  


Peter Pettigrew, for anyone who really knew him, liked to pick at things. He liked to pick at stickers, scabs, food, but mostly people. When he couldn’t get to something, he became even more determined to break it down. Which leads us to the moment Peter received his Hogwarts school letter. As mentioned before, he was lying in the bushes that separated him from Elaine and Abraham’s home. What was not mentioned was the plan he had in mind as he watched the siblings in their tree house.  


While using magic was not allowed outside of school, Peter had learned that he could “accidentally” do things if he focused hard enough. For example, he could “accidentally” make a squirrel fall into one of his mom’s flowerbeds. He could “accidentally” make his father’s suits dance up to the attic. He could “accidentally” make Mrs. Minnow’s dog start quacking like a duck.  


As he sat in the bushes, he thought about “accidentally” making the rope ladder disappear. He thought about “accidentally” stranding his two neighbours in a tree. He thought about- what could have possibly hit him in the face at such an important moment.  


Peter looked down to see a letter. “What the-” he began, but a sudden hoot stole his attention. An old, horned owl stared at him with annoyed orange eyes. Peter shook his head, and went to refocus on his plan, but the owl let out a noise that almost sounded like a cough. “Not now.” Peter said trying to regain focus.  


The owl was persistent. It glided in front of him, picked up the letter, and then dropped it into his face again. It let out another annoyed hoot. With a sigh, he picked up the letter, surprised at the front. “Mr. P. Pettigrew. It’s for me?” He asked looking at the owl. It didn’t say anything obviously, but its eyes narrowed in growing anger as it waited longer and longer for its treat. Peter picked at the fancy wax seal on the letter. “Dear Mr. Peter Pettigrew, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” He read aloud. 

Suddenly forgetting his entire plan, he stood and returned into his house. The owl hopped and hooted after him angrily.  


“Mom?” Peter called as he continued reading through the letter. When Peter received no response, he wandered through the house till he got to his mother’s workroom. “Mom?” He called again as he carefully opened the door.  


Within the room were dozens of magical plants, all of which were dangerous in their own way. Among the plants was a stoutly woman with frizzy red hair and large glasses. She was humming under her breath as she carefully snipped leaves off a tall bush. “ _Just a sprinkle of dragon’s blood and leave the potion on/ when we go singing above in our songs of love/ when the bells toll their time I’ll be first in line/ because a potion of love don’t wait for no one._ ” She sang completely out of tune as she gathered the clipped leaves into a basket.  


Peter walked further into the room, eventually capturing his mother’s attention. “Oh hello darling. What’s that in your hand? Did the post come already?” Enid Pettigrew asked quickly in a slightly nasally voice. Striding over she held out her hand for the letter. Peter offered it, and waited. She held the paper close to her face, despite having glasses.  


“Oh. Hogwarts. That’s wonderful darling. Have you told your father yet?” She paused. “Oh wait he’s probably still at work. You can tell him tonight.” She ruffled Peter’s hair, and then handed the letter back. “Well put the list of supplies you’ll need in the kitchen. We’ll go to Diagon Ally this weekend if your father isn’t too busy.”

“Alright.”  


Peter left as his mother began singing again. As he got into the kitchen he read through the letter again. “Hmm. Hogwarts…well I guess it’ll be interesting.” He mumbled. He set the letter down and then returned outside. After all, there was an accident waiting to happen. 

_Remus_  
Remus felt like he wasn’t really seeing anything even though his eyes were wide open and he knew he was awake. They were in Brazil this month trying out a new solution to his…new problem. It hadn’t worked. Just like the past four attempts at a cure, this one was another vile tasting potion, a moment of hope, and then a night of disappointment.  


The worst part about it was this potion was so close. Most of the potions don’t work at all, and on the night of the full moon he’s forced into a cell for everyone else’s safety. This one had been promising. He was able to go a full hour without the change washing over him. However, once things were starting to look up, well…things went downhill quite quickly.  


“Lyall I think it’s time to head home.” Remus heard his mother whisper even though she was in the hallway and the door was closed. “This isn’t…we can’t keep putting him through this. I can’t keep going through this. I mean…did you see him when he woke up this morning?”

“I can’t just let him stay like this Hope.” His father’s voice stated.

“Lyall…I think it’s time to start accepting that our child is…that Remus is…”  


Whatever was going to follow was broken by the faint sound of Hope Lupin crying. Remus felt a sharp pain in his chest at the sound. It didn’t get easier the more he heard it. Every sniffle was like a knife in his chest, every escaped sob was a twist in his gut. Remus sat up slowly, his muscles hurting even more so than usual. It was almost as if this curse inside him was saying “That’s what you get for trying to get rid of me”.  


The healer’s assistant, who was sitting in the corner of his room, stood up when she saw Remus move. She was younger than most of the other healers Remus had seen. However, something about the way she looked at him made him hurt a little bit less. She sat down beside him, and dabbed his head with a wet cloth.  


“I’m sorry the Healer’s treatment didn’t work.” She said softly with a very heavy accent. Remus couldn’t bring himself to say anything. She dabbed at his head again, and then put the cloth down. “Remus?” She asked softly. He nodded, but didn’t look at her. She placed something in his hand. “You should eat that. It’ll make you feel better.” Remus looked down at his hand, and saw a Muggle chocolate candy. She stood and then gestured at him when he didn’t move. “Trust me. You’ll feel better.”  


Remus carefully unwrapped the candy as the assistant left the room. He could hear her consulting with his parents outside the door, but he focused on not tearing the cheap foil that encased the treat. He smoothed out the foil before picking up the chocolate ball. He took a tentative bite. It had a strange chocolate cream in the center, but it tasted good. He popped the rest of the treat into his mouth and closed his eyes. The gooey part in the middle added to the richness of the chocolate shell. As the chocolate melted more and more in his mouth, Remus Lupin felt the ache in his chest lighten just a little bit.  


A knock on his door caused him to swallow the treat, still enjoying the lingering taste on his tongue. His mother’s head peeked in. “Hey sweetie. How are you feeling?” She asked as she stepped into the room. She brushed Remus’s hair out of his face, and smiled gently down at him. He shrugged, still trying to hold on to the last remnants of the chocolate treat. His mother placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.  


“Hope, Remus we’ll be heading out now.” Lyall Lupin said from his position in the doorway. He looked at the floor. “I’ve already packed our bags, and Paola has offered us use of her Floo.” Hope stood up and helped Remus put his shoes on and stand. His body always ached terribly after a full moon. She looped an arm around him as they made their way to Paola’s living room. The Head Healer looked somber, and only glanced once at Remus. Lyall used the Floo first, Remus went second, and Hope followed.  


When they entered their living room, Hope brushed off some soot from Remus’s clothes and smiled at him. “Why don’t you go take a soak while I get some dinner ready?” She told him with one more kiss on his head. Remus did as he was told and settled down in a tub of warm water.  


However, the relaxation didn’t last very long. A knock at the front door was followed by shouts and the sound of spells being cast. Rushing to throw some clothes on, Remus found himself out of breath at the bottom of the steps. A strange man was standing in their living room. He wore wizarding robes, and had a smile on his face.  


“You can’t be here sir. I’m going to have to ask you to leave before I call the-”

“Mr. Lupin, my name is Professor Albus Dumbledore, and I work at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

“I thought you said Remus wasn’t going to be able to go to the magical school.” Hope said looking to her husband, who looked just as surprised as she was.

“I-I didn’t think he could either.” Lyall said.

“Then it’s a good thing I showed up, and you graciously let me inside to talk.” Dumbledore said.  


He looked over to Remus and winked before taking a seat at the Lupin’s kitchen table. Hope and Lyall looked at each other and then towards their son before all of them took a seat at the table. “I’m here to give Mr. Lupin this.” Albus said softly, handing an envelope to Remus. “Congratulations.” Remus opened the letter. Hogwarts. He was going to be able to-  


“Remus’s condition was brought to my attention, and I figured it would be easiest to discuss how we handle that in person.” Dumbledore said, the gentle smile still on his face. Lyall and Hope stared at the letter and then the strange man with hope in their eyes.  


“Mr. Dumbledore sir?” Remus asked softly as he read the letter again. The wizard looked to the young werewolf and nodded once to show he was listening. “Does this mean I’m going to be allowed to learn magic, and go to school with other kids?”

“Yes my dear boy. Yes it does.”


	3. Part 2: Feast and Fears

#### Part 2 Feast and Fears 

_Sirius_  
The castle was massive, and Sirius couldn’t help but feel incredibly excited as they walked into the Great Hall. There was an energy around the room that he couldn’t quite shake. The mask of disdain and pride that his family had tried to drill into him had been shattered the minute the first years got into the boats. As they entered the Great Hall, all eyes were on them, and Sirius loved it.  


They all gathered around as an older man, who had introduced as Professor Dumbledore before they entered, looked upon what had to be the ugliest hat he had ever seen. As he stared at it, it began to move. Creases formed eyes and a mouth, and it began to sing:  


_Surprise, surprise it is that time once more  
Where the little ones take a stand upon the shores  
Of a new beginning of a new school year  
But first I feel I must make one thing clear_

_I do not make mistakes-I do not fail  
From the Great Hall to the three quarter rail  
I know all your thoughts-I know where  
To place you all when upon your hair_

_Will you fall into Godrick’s group  
Of unlimited courage and virtue  
With the gold and red of their troupe  
Leading them onto something new_

_Will you be roused by Rowena’s realm  
Where knowledge and power know no bounds  
Where cleverness and challenge gives them views  
Underneath a banner of silver and blue_

_Or perhaps Helga is more of a draw  
Her gentle patience a work of awe  
Her loyal, honest, and creative fellows  
March beneath black and yellow_

_Or mayhaps-maybe Salazar is supplicating  
His cunning and ambition is simply titillating  
The opportunities provided are all fully seen  
Standing on a battlefield of silver and green_

_Alas I see the look in those small  
That I have talked too long  
I’m losing my draw  
So here I will end  
I will say that is that  
Good luck to you all  
From the Sorting Hat! _

Everyone applauded after the hat’s song. Professor Dumbledore stepped up and smiled at all the first years. “Before we can feast, the first years must be sorted. I will call you up one by one. The hat will be placed on your head, and you will be sorted into a house. There are four houses: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Once the hat has called out your house, you’ll join their table. We’ll begin with,” He took a moment to look over a piece of parchment. “Halima Aryantha.” A small girl with large glasses walked up.  


As she sat down and the hat was placed upon her head, the flaps of the hat moved and wobbled till they settled on her shoulders. “A shy little thing aren’t you?” The hat mumbled. “However, you do have potential…better be…Ravenclaw!” The hat yelled. A table at the far right end of the room rallied in applause. The girl jumped up and joined the table as soon as Dumbledore removed the hat.  


“Next up we have…Sirius Black.” Sirius’s heart jumped into his throat. He walked up to the stool, and sat down. The hat was heavier than it had looked, and the flaps were almost like hands upon his shoulders. Sirius glanced at the Slytherin table, feeling a slight hint of dread at the serious faces that looked back at him. _It’ll work out. I’ll make things work out._ Sirius thought to himself as he continued looking at the table. For a moment there was nothing, but then the hat began to hum to itself.  


“Gryffindor!” The hat yelled. Sirius froze. Several people at the Slytherin table’s eyes went wide in shock. Sirius couldn’t move. _I was supposed to be in Slytherin. Mom, dad, everyone in our family has been in Slytherin._ “I do not make mistakes boy.” The hat whispered as it was removed from his head. Sirius forced his body to move towards the Gryffindor table. As he sat down, his head hit the table. 

“Mom’s gonna kill me.” 

_Peter_  
Peter was starting to get bored when his name was finally called. He walked up to the steps and sat down, the stool squeaking as he did. The hat fell upon his head, and there was silence. “Tricky…very tricky.” The hat began. “You have many qualities that would do well in any house, but where to put you?” The hat hummed. “You are cunning enough for Slytherin. There is certainly no doubt about that, but ambition…” The hat trailed off into silence. “Intelligent for sure, definitely a plotter. However, you are loyal to those lucky enough to call you friend…but to what extent? How far would you go Mr. Pettigrew?” The hat mumbled softly.  


Minutes went by. “I’ve narrowed it down, but still…” The hat seemed very troubled by this statement. Peter was starting to feel sweat drip down the sides of his robes. “You are brash for sure Mr. Pettigrew, but are you brave? You are smart, but do you know where you want that to lead you? Slytherin or Gryffindor, Gryffindor or Slytherin.” The hat mumbled. Peter looked at Professor Dumbledore, who seemed very interested in how long it was taking for the hat to place him.  


More minutes passed, and people at the four long tables began muttering to each other. Peter could see some students placing bets. He tried to keep his face neutral, but the longer the hat was on his head, the more he started to doubt he’d ever find a house for him. Maybe he was just an anomaly that would get kicked out? What would he do then?  


The hat fluttered the long flaps almost hurting as they tightened on his shoulders. The hat huffed and then made grumbled softly. It began muttering, but the words were spoken so fast that no one could quite understand them. “I feel I have kept you up here for too long Mr. Pettigrew. I am delaying the inevitable. Gryffindor!” The hat yelled finally.  


Peter couldn’t wait to get off the stool, and almost ran off without giving the hat back. As he sat down at the Gryffindor table, another student grabbed his arm. “That was insane! I haven’t seen a Hatstall like that in my life, and I’m a sixth year! You’re one to watch Pettigrew. Also thanks for winning me twenty galleons.” The girl said with a wide smile. Peter nodded, and looked back at the stool where some kid with the last name Potter was starting to sit down. The hat hadn’t even touched his hair before it was yelling out Gryffindor.  


The boy ran over and took a seat next to Peter. “I’m James. You’re Peter right?” The boy asked as he faced Peter. Peter nodded, and the other boy smiled. “Groovy sorting you had. I knew I’d be a Gryffindor, but you’re a hard act to follow. I mean five minutes for a Sorting? That’s brilliant!” James said as he accepted congratulations from some other people at the table.  


Eventually the sorting ended, and the feast began. Peter and James were chatting over Treacle Tart, Cornish pasty’s, and more. James was incredible. He had his own broom, a Comet 3000. Half the people at the table were already begging to try it out on the Quiddich Pitch. James regaled people with stories of his life. His mom apparently had a medal at Hogwarts for scoring the highest number of points during a Quiddich match ever. James talked about how he was going to be a Chaser when he was finally allowed on the team. He waved a chicken leg in the air as he talked about how unfair it was for first years to not be allowed to try-out.  


Peter found himself telling James stories too. He talked about Mrs. Minnow’s dog and the quacking incident. He told James about his father’s clothes dancing their way into the attic, which caused the other boy to laugh so hard he turned red. As their Head Boy gathered up all the first years to show them to the dormitories, James threw an arm around Peter’s shoulders. “You know Peter, I think we’re going to get on just fine.”  


Peter smiled at the statement. _I do too._

_Remus_  
Remus felt like he was going to be sick. After the Sorting, which was quite possibly the most terrifying thing he had ever had to deal with, there was a feast where he ate his weight in sweets to try and quell his nerves. When they went back to the Common Room the Head Boy, whose name was either Marius or Marcius, laid out the rules for the area. He talked about how the boys would all be sharing a room, and bathroom. Remus felt more uneasy.  


How was he supposed to hide what he was with those kinds of accommodations? There was absolutely no privacy. There was nowhere to chain himself up for the full moons. There was nowhere to hide when he had nightmares. There was nowhere to go when the moon started causing mood swings. This was a complete disaster, and a mistake. His parents made a horrible mistake, and he was going to get found out and bullied and all those other things he had missed out on living at home.  


__

It wasn’t even two days into the school year when people started playing pranks. Two first-year boys tried to get into the girls dorm, and ended up sliding down the steps before they could make it. On the first day, some fourth year Slytherin student tried to convince him that he had gone into the wrong bathroom. Remus’s nerves were at an all time high when the third school day came around.  


__

He was sitting in the Great Hall eating some eggs and toast when the mail came. His mother had sent an owl congratulating him the day before, so he wasn’t really expecting anything. The boy next to him though, looked like he was going to vomit. A single, red envelope landed in front of him. The look of horror on his face only escalated when the envelope began to unravel on its own.  


__

“ _Gryffindor!? Gryffindor?!_ ” Bellowed a female voice as the envelope began to form into a paper mouth. “ _I am disgusted! Sirius Black you have never brought so much shame upon your family than in this very act! Your father is outraged! Your brother is ashamed! Your grandmother nearly had a heart attack at the news! Really? How dare you choose to surround yourselves with Mudbloods and blood-traitors? I am absolutely sickened by the very thought! I will be speaking to Headmaster Dippet at the earliest opportunity!_ ” The envelope continued raging at the poor boy for another minute talking about the problems with magical hats, and the woman’s distain for non-Pure Bloods. The longer it went on the more curled up the boy got. The boy had his head bowed almost to his chest as the envelope exploded into a bunch of paper scraps.  


__

Things were quiet for a moment before the boy’s body started shaking. Remus reached out a hand to make sure the boy was okay, but the boy flung his head back in a giant laugh. Some of the other Gryffindors at the table watched in shock as the boy stood up on his bench and pointed down at the letter. “The Sorting Hat doesn’t make mistakes you twisted gargoyle!” 

__

“You tell her!” Another first year yelled, which caused a giant cheer from the table.  


__

The boy sat back down, the smile still on his face. He looked over to Remus, and leaned over. “Can I tell you a secret?” He asked as a lock of his hair fell into his face. Remus nodded, stunned by the display. “I never wanted to be in Slytherin anyways.” He chuckled at the end of the sentence, and then swept the remains of the envelope off of his plate. Picking up a chocolate croissant, he stuffed it into his mouth, still managing to smile while doing it.  


__

“My name’s Sirius, Sirius Black. What’s yours?” He asked as he piled a couple pieces of toast onto his plate. Remus recalled hearing the name in his Transfiguration and Charms classes.  


__

“I’m Remus Lupin.” Remus replied holding his hand out. The other boy shook his hand, and then smiled wide. Remus looked over at the Slytherin table, nudging Sirius when he noticed a couple boys were glaring at them. Their eyes filled with malice. A brunette haired girl walked up behind the boys, put her arms around their shoulders, and then whispered something in the leader’s ear that had him paling. She stood up, pat his shoulder roughly, and then winked at Sirius.  


__

“Who is that?” Remus asked as he watched the girl walk back over to her group, which consisted of a Gryffindor girl, two Ravenclaw boys, and another Slytherin girl. She was pretty. She was older, probably a fourth or fifth year, who had a gentle face. Sirius looked at her, and then his eyes widened.  


__

“Oh! That’s gotta be Andromeda! She’s my cousin…I think. Pureblood family trees can get pretty confusing considering their…overlapping branches.” Sirius said as he waved wildly at the girl. She smiled and gave a small wave back. Remus nodded, and then Sirius looked over to him.  


__

“You don’t really talk much do you?” He asked more subdued. “That’s okay.” He said without waiting for Remus to reply. “I can do enough talking for two people.” He leaned back and smiled. “My mom always wanted me to stay quiet and restrained, so unfortunately for you, you’re going to get eleven years of blabber.”

__

“I…can’t say I mind it.” Remus said with a shy grin.

_James_  
How on earth could he have forgotten the password for the door? He had repeated it twelve times to himself before he left the dormitory so that he wouldn’t forget. Yet here James was, standing at the Fat Lady’s portrait, arguing over the fact that James was sure the password was “Polyjuice” while the Fat Lady sang over him.  


“Come on lady let me in! I’m going to be late to class!” James said grabbing at the portrait. He yanked, grunting, as it didn’t move. “I. Need. My. Potions. Book!” He huffed as he pulled hard and ended up on his butt. “Come on!”

__

“Need a hand?” A feminine voice asked from behind him.  


__

James turned to let out a large rant about how stupid the painting was, and how he was going to be late. However, the girl behind him completely silenced him. She was beautiful. She had long red hair, and the brightest green eyes he had ever seen. In her arms were two textbooks almost bigger than her. James opened his mouth, but he couldn’t think. His hands were suddenly really sweaty, and he could feel his face turning red.  


__

The girl smiled, and then walked up to the Fat Lady’s portrait. “My Lady if I could interrupt your singing for a moment, I need to get my potions book.” The Fat Lady let out one last long soprano note before looking at the two first-years. She turned her nose up slightly and then asked for the password. “Quaffle.” She said. The Fat Lady opened the door, and the girl looked back to James. “You coming?”

__

“I thought the password was Polyjuice.” He said as he stood up and brushed himself off.

__

“They changed it this morning. Apparently some Slytherin students were trying to get in with the old password.”

__

“Oh.” James said awkwardly as they entered the dorm.  


__

He rushed to his room and grabbed his textbook. As he was coming down, the girl was to. She looked over at him. “My name is Lily by the way. Lily Evans. I don’t think I got your name when we were in the hall earlier.” She held out her hand for him to shake. James awkwardly wiped his sweaty hands on his robes before shaking her hand.  


__

“I’m James. James Potter.” He said suddenly trying to put on a brave face. Lily nodded and then they left the dorm together. As they walked down the stairs, James couldn’t help thinking that he had to say something. “Are you going to potions right now?” He asked.

__

“Yeah. It’s a joint class with Slytherin.”

__

“Oh I’m going that way too!” James said, excited by the prospect of having this girl in his class.  


__

“I’m actually supposed to meet one of my friends before class. I think he said he was going to be by the portrait of a fruit bowl.” She looked around and then spotted someone. “Oh there he is. Severus! Severus over here!” She called through the large crowds of wandering students. A Slytherin boy with greasy black hair and a large hooked nose started walking towards them.  


__

“Hello Lily.” He said, glaring at James. “You’re late, and who’s this?” Severus crossed his arms tightly, sneering at the other boy. James felt his hackles rise. Who was this jerk who felt like he was somehow better than him? Also what was this guy’s problem?  


__

“This is James. He’s in our potions class. James Potter this is Severus Snape.” Lily said, seeming completely oblivious to the tension between the two boys. “Speaking of, we probably need to get inside soon. I know Slughorn’s pretty nice, but he’s a stickler for punctuality.” She said. She walked into the potions classroom, and James was about to do the same when the other boy stopped him.  


__

“I don’t know who you think you are, but Lily is my friend. You better back off Potter.” He said with a final sneer before entering the room. James felt a quiet rage begin to boil in his gut at the other boy’s attitude. James walked inside quickly, only to see that Lily was already sitting next to another Gryffindor girl, and that the only seat open was next to Peter, who was looking skittishly around for his friend.  


__

James slid into the seat, the anger inside of him still boiling. “You alright James?” He asked, sounding slightly worried. James looked over at Peter, and then suddenly had an idea. He looked over to Snape, and then back to Peter.  


__

“Say Peter…how do you feel about pranks?” He asked as the plan began to solidify in his mind. Peter’s eyes widened before lighting up with excitement.  


__

“Go on.” Peter said smiling, his bucked teeth looking almost rodent like. As class went on, the two boys muttered plans between themselves. By the end of the class they felt confident in their plans, until a boy with wild black hair, a loose red tie, and a carefree smile threw his arms over their shoulders.  


__

“That’s never going to work. You forgot that you’ve got to make sure Mrs. Norris isn’t patrolling. Also how are you going to keep others from tripping the trap?” He said smiling. “First rule of pranking is making sure you don’t get caught.”

__

“Ho-how did you-“ Peter began.

__

“You two weren’t being really quiet, and we were at the table next to you.” A boy with four large scars across his face said from his spot behind the black haired boy.  


__

“Besides, what Sirius forgot to mention was, you’re too sloppy with your wand to cast a charm that complicated. I’ve seen you in Charms class, you’re not that skilled.” The scarred boy said. Sirius smiled at Remus, and then pulled the two boys closer.  


__

“If you want me and Remus’s help, well we don’t work for free.” He said. “Remus is brilliant at Charms, and you’ve never met someone as distracting as me.” Sirius said as he flicked his hair out of his face. Peter and James looked at each other from under Sirius’s arm. “We accept payment in the form of Butterbeer and Chocolate Frogs.”  


__

Peter and James shrugged at each other. “Fine, but only after the job is done. Gotta see if you’re worth the price.” James said as the four boys walked out of the potions room. James couldn’t help the brief, lingering, glance on a head of long red hair in the hallway.  


__

“I’m Sirius Black, and this is Remus Lupin. We’re worth every galleon you’ve got.” The black haired boy said as he removed his arms from the other two. “We should meet up somewhere to plan more. I know of a secret spot on the seventh floor. We can meet there tonight.” James and Peter looked at each other, and then nodded.

__


	4. Part 3: Momentum

#### Part 3

#### Momentum 

_James_  
The first month of school were amazing. Remus, Peter, and Sirius had all become close friends with James. Together they caused chaos and confusion amongst all the students and staff. Their most recent escapade, while resulting in a week’s detention for each of them, was a huge success. The four Slytherin boys who were in the Hospital Room with pelican beaks were neutralized targets, and the boys were already planning their next move.

James and Sirius were playing a game of Wizard Chess while Remus and Peter poured over a Charms book. “That one doesn’t look too hard to do.” Peter said as he pointed at something in the book. Remus looked over it, and mouthed the incantation before studying the wand movements. 

“What you looking at now Peter?” Sirius asked as his knight smashed James’ bishop. Peter passed them a book. Looking over, the two boys read the incantation. _Wingardium Leviosa_. It would make things float as long as the person casting the spell stayed focused on the spell. “Hm…we could use that for a lot of things.”

“Like the pie Snivilus thing we were planning.” James muttered.

Remus reached out for the book, and kept reading. “It doesn’t say anything about a weight limit either. If we wanted we could do two pies so long as someone else is able to enchant it.” Remus said as he continued looking through the book. “The only thing is, you can’t really launch it. Once you cast the spell it will hover. As you move your wand it will go in that direction, and it can’t be used on people.” 

“Still a good one to know. I think we’re actually supposed to go over that one in Charms this week.” James said as his queen repeatedly smashed her chair through Sirius’ rook. 

Remus scratched the back of his neck, and then rolled his shoulders. James watched as Remus rubbed his eyes aggressively, and then tried to crack his neck again. “You good Remus?” He asked. Remus’s face went a bit red, but he nodded. “You wouldn’t have so many problems with your neck if you weren’t constantly bent nose-first into those books of yours.” James said with a grin.

“Well maybe if you put your nose in a book every now and then, you would make better marks on your essays.” Remus said without missing a beat. Sirius let out a whoop of joy as his other rook obliterated James’ king. “You might be better at chess too.” Remus said with a smirk. James scowled at the board.

“Take that James! Talk about a double whammy. See if you were like me you would be better at class and chess-“

“Oh don’t act like you haven’t copied off my papers for the past two History of Magic tests.” Remus snapped.

“You also looked at Halima Aryantha’s potions paper last week.” Peter chimed in.

“How do you even know about that? We were in the back of the library!” Sirius said flushing a bright red.

Peter smiled. “I was looking for a Transfiguration book.” Sirius playfully shoved him, only for Peter to shove him back. The two boys began playfully nudging and shoving each other until Sirius jumped onto the couch next to Peter, and began tickling him. Peter squealed, and then went bright red. 

Remus, seeing how the situation was escalating, took Sirius’ now vacant spot across from James. He scratched at the back of his neck, and rolled his shoulders again. “You should really go to the Hospital Wing if your shoulders hurt that bad Remus.” James said as Remus cracked his neck again. 

“I’ll be fine.” Remus said, suddenly looking very worried. “I’ve got to go check something.” 

With that Remus left the room. James watched, debating on if he should follow him. However, a stray foot caught his thigh, causing James to join in on Peter and Sirius’ tussle. “You two are in for it now!” He said as he launched himself onto his two friends. 

_Sirius_  
Sirius struggled to keep quiet as he and Peter watched Severus Snape turn the corner. Remus and James were across from them, hiding behind a pillar identical to the one Peter and Sirius were hiding behind. They all had their wands raised as four plates of eggs hovered just out of sight. As Severus passed underneath the plates, the four boys turned their wands, forcing the plated to angle themselves so the eggs rolled off and splattered on Severus.

The first egg landed right on Severus’s face. Shocked by the sudden assault, Severus tried to dodge the others, but the boys had planned it perfectly. In his haste to get away, Severus slipped on some egg yoke, and fell flat on his butt. His greasy hair was coated in egg, as was the rest of him. “Potter!” He yelled in a violent rage as he attempted to wipe the egg out of his eyes.

That was the boy’s cue to leave. The four rushed off in two different directions, planning to meet up at the dormitory after. The sound of Severus slipping again had Sirius bursting out in a laugh. Peter joined in as they rushed farther and farther away. “Did you see his face?” Peter asked through his laughs. Sirius nodded, and then spun around the corner, and rushed straight into someone. 

The force sent both of them to the ground. Sirius looked down to find a beautiful girl under him- well she would’ve been beautiful if she wasn’t currently cursing him out. “-bloody hell you think you are? How dare you, get off of me at once!” She yelled in a heavy Scottish accent. She shoved at Sirius’ chest until he fell off. Standing quickly, she brushed off her robes, and glared at the two boys.

“I don’t know who you think you are running around like a lunatic-” The woman continued yelling, but Sirius couldn’t say a word. She was probably a seventh or sixth year, but she was incredible. Sure he had heard enough about Minerva McGonagall to know that she was completely out of his league, but that didn’t stop him from staring. Peter seemed to have come to the same realization shortly after she started talking. 

“I swear you first years are always running and causing a-”

“Black! Get over here you wretched devil!” An angry yell came from the other end of the hallway.

Sirius glanced over to see Severus, still covered in eggs, rush towards him. “Love to chat love, but we gotta go-“ Sirius said as he grabbed Peter and sprinted off towards the moving staircases. Peter and he ran as quickly as they could. Sirius climbed up the stairs, not noticing Peter starting to lag behind. The stairs started shifting, and Sirius looked back to see Peter staring with a look of terror as they both caught sight of Severus making his way towards them. 

“Peter, jump!” Sirius yelled as Peter looked at him like he was crazy. Peter ran and jumped. Sirius grabbed his robes and yanked him onto the stairs as they moved away from the ones Severus was stuck on. The two boys laughed at the infuriated cry that came from Severus. Sirius couldn’t help but stick his tongue out at Severus. “Maybe next time egg head!” He yelled before he and Peter rushed up some more stairs.

As they entered into the Common Room, they both collapsed on the couch, holding their stomachs as they laughed about their success. James and Remus rushed in a couple minutes later, looking relieved when they saw the other two members of their group. 

“James you should have seen it! Severus was right behind us, egg and all, and Peter jumped as the staircases were moving to get away. I barely caught onto him and pulled him up. It was brilliant!”

“At least we all made it back.” Remus said smiling.

They were about to joke more about the prank when the door to the Common Room swung open to reveal a very angry redheaded girl. “Potter!” She shouted as she stormed up to the boys. James’ smile remained on his face. 

“Hey Evans. Something up?” He asked, seeming completely incapable of hiding how smug he was with his plan. Lily glared and threw an empty eggshell at him. James looked at it, and couldn’t help as his smile went wider. Sirius on the other hand, was starting to think that there was something very bad about to happen. 

“I can’t believe you would do that to Severus!” She shouted. “You are the absolute worst Potter, and if I see you again before dinner tonight I’ll shove an entire bloody chicken down your throat!” She shouted before storming up the stairs to the girl’s dorm. The smile didn’t leave James’ face. Sirius looked at his friend and then rolled his eyes.

“She totally likes me.” James said, dreamy eyed as he looked at his friends. Remus’ hand made a very distinct sound as it made contact with his head. Peter busted out laughing again until he realized that James was being serious, where then his face fell into a look of disbelief. Sirius threw an arm around James’ shoulders and messed up his already crazy hair. 

“Keep telling yourself that, and maybe one day it’ll be true.”

_Remus_  
Dumbledore’s office wasn’t cold per-say, but it had an air of seriousness about it. Even with the silly paintings and bowl of lemon drops, Remus felt on edge as he stood across from the teacher. “Care for a lemon drop Mr. Lupin?” Dumbledore asked, obviously trying to ease the tension. 

It had been late when the Head Boy woke Remus and told him that Professor Dumbledore was looking for him. Remus was led to the man’s office, and told that the teacher would be there shortly. As Remus looked around, he knew exactly what this conversation was going to be about. Ever since he was infected, Remus had an instinctual knowledge of what phase the moon was at. The full moon was tomorrow night.

“Well I’m sure you know why you’re here Mr. Lupin so let’s not delay. I have discussed with the headmaster the options your parents and I came to when we discussed the issue at your house. Headmaster Dippet is going to see how you do in the forest. The Gameskeeper and her apprentice are going to be keeping an eye on you in order to make sure no wandering students get into harms way.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to be out there?”

“As you know, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to students without supervision. The only things out in that forest are things you, with your werewolf abilities of course, would be able to handle. Your instincts will keep you away from the things that could kill you, and will protect you from what might try to challenge you.”

Remus nodded, and hands slick with sweat. It was going to be his first full moon not chained up in a cement room with his parents watching. He was terrified. Dumbledore leaned foreword across his desk, his beard trailing slightly on the wooden surface. “Remus.” He said gently in order to gain the boy’s attention. “You’ll be fine.”

The next night, Remus left the dormitory with a note from Professor Dumbledore. After meeting in his office, the two headed out to meet the Gameskeeper. Her name was Ulri Vesenka, and she was small but extremely strong. Beside her was a tall, giant of a man with a loud voice. Hagrid, as he preferred to be called, was patting Remus’s shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting pat, but ended up hurting just a bit. 

Ulri and Hagrid led him out to a spot in the forest, a clearing right next to a small creek. “We’ve cast a couple charms to make sure you aren’t suffering during the moon. Some other charms are going to keep other creatures from taking too much notice of you.” Dumbledore said as Ulri looked to the sky. “Ulri will be watching you the entire time.” Remus nodded, and watched in amazement as the woman’s body shifted into the form of a crow.

Remus stripped down, completely embarrassed, but comforted by the fact that Hagrid gave him his coat to use as a blanket while they waited for the shift. “Hagrid and I are going to wait at Ulri’s hut in case we’re needed.” Dumbledore said as Remus cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders again. “We’ll come get you in the morning.” Remus nodded, shivering in the night air. As the two left, a glimpse of moonlight shone through the trees of the Forbidden Forest. 

Remus felt the pain as his bones began to break and reshape themselves to fit his new form. His gums bled slightly as he felt his teeth sharpen and elongate. His claws burned his skin as they lengthened out of his fingers. A howl built up in his throat, and within moments, Remus Lupin as everyone knew him was gone. The wolf was all that remained.

When Remus woke the next morning, he was covered in blood. He immediately threw up, and cried at the aching of his muscles. A large coat was placed over his shoulders as Ulri whispered soft words while rubbing his back. Remus threw up again, his tears mixing with the remains of what was probably a deer. “I’m a monster. I’m a bloody monster.” He cried as Ulri continued to try and soothe the distressed boy. 

They walked back to Ulri’s hut before the sun could completely rise. Remus felt raw, like his muscles had been put through a meat grinder. They had only made it halfway back when Ulri stopped, wrapped Remus up tight, and then carried him the rest of the way. “You not monster Remus Lupin.” She said softly. “You are boy who was attacked by a monster, and now you try to be better than that. You are incredibly brave, and you should never be ashamed of that.” She said, her low voice soothing as they trudged through dew covered grass. 

“How did you turn into the animal yesterday? Were you cursed by something too?” Remus asked, his head bouncing slightly with every step Ulri took. The birds were starting to wake themselves, and the sound of crickets was heavy in the air.

“I am an animagus. I took a potion that allows me to take the form of one creature. The Ministry is very picky about the whole thing, but it was something I had wanted to do since I was a little girl. It comes in handy too. Before you ask, I am myself when I transform. I maintain all my memories, and know exactly what I’m doing when I am in that shape.”

“I wish I could’ve been like that.” Remus muttered, a headache beginning to set in.

The two arrived at Ulri’s hut. Ulri set him on his feet and helped him inside. Dumbledore offered Remus some clothes, and then some tea, his eyes dark from the lack of sleep from the night before. “Aside from the doe, you didn’t get into anything too bad last night. You were curious about a pixie nest, but Ulri was able to lure you away before you made them mad.”

“I don’t want to kill anything when I’m like that.” Remus said, the blood itching slightly. 

“Then we will look into alternatives to the forest.” Dumbledore said gently. 

Remus nodded. Dumbledore led him through a secret entrance into the school. He was shown to a private bath where he could wash the blood from his skin and change into his robes. “I’ve already let your professors know you’ll be taking the day off today due to an intense migraine that you informed me about. Madame Pomfry has some potions waiting when you’re done that should help with the aching.”

“Thank you.” Remus said.

He held it together until the professor left. He grabbed the soap and scrubbed his skin till it was pink from the force. Tears streamed down his face and landed into the bath.

_Peter_  
It was an accident, the first time. Remus was acting strange. He had missed class, and spelled his bed so the curtains couldn’t be opened. Peter even went to the Head Boy to ask what was wrong, but all he said was that Remus was sick, and Madame Pomfry had given him strict instructions for recovering in the dormitory instead of in the Hospital Wing.

With such worries spinning around in Peter’s head, he couldn’t help but snoop once his friend recovered. Remus was already a very closed-lipped person, so Peter knew that he would have to be careful. After all Remus, Sirius, and James were the first group of people to really understand Peter. He didn’t want to lose them. So when Remus began spending more time in the library, Peter couldn’t help but pick up the books Remus had been looking at.

There was a common connection between all of them. They all involved information on wizards and witches who turned into animals through some kind of transfiguration means. Others discussed witches and wizards who had magical creatures in their bloodlines. Veelas. Werewolves. Giants. All of these mixed bloodlines created irregularities in their descendants. People with Veela bloodlines were always extremely beautiful and alluring. Werewolves couldn’t pass on the werewolf gene through sex but, due to the stereotypes and dangers of werewolves, usually didn’t have children anyways. The information went on.

So the first time Peter stole Remus’s notes it had been an accident. They had been working on homework together. After getting completely caught up in their lessons, they realized they were going to be late to class. Shoving all the papers into their bags without a care for whose were whose, they rushed off to their classes. So when Peter found a piece of parchment in his bag that mapped out the process of brewing and consuming an animagus potion, he couldn’t help but be interested. 

However, interest didn’t mean reckless. Peter slipped the parchment into one of Remus’s textbooks when his back was turned. However, in the following weeks he kept an eye and ear out for any information regarding Remus’s strange topic of interest. He knew he would have to be smart about how he brought up the subject, especially since Remus was going through such lengths to keep it hidden.

The four boys were sitting in the Common Room, finishing up a rousing game of Exploding Snap. James was losing spectacularly, while Sirius and Remus were currently tied. Peter was kicking everyone’s butts, but then again he had been playing the game with his family since he was three. After another card exploded, nearly taking off James’ eyebrows in the process, the boys finished up and began the process of packing up the game. “So I heard something interesting the other day.” Peter began as he gathered up the cards.

Three heads turned to him in interest. Usually when Peter said this phrase, it meant that there was a new idea for a prank. However, this time he drew out the suspense. “I heard that Minerva McGonagall is going to the Ministry during her winter break.” 

“The Ministry? Is she going to be working?” James asked.

“She can’t work, she’s only a sixth year.” Remus replied.

“Well Peter? What’s the scoop?”

Peter motioned for the three to get closer so he could whisper it. “I heard she’s going to be getting the paperwork done so that she can take the Animagus Potion when she graduates.” He said, trying not to look at Remus. Sirius gasped, and James looked at the other three boys.

“What’s an animagus potion?” He asked.

“It lets you turn into an animal that reflects your character.” Remus said softly.

“I heard that Minerva got special permission from her parents, and that Dumbledore will be supervising.” Peter continued.

James leaned back. “That would be so far out!” He said with a huff. Suddenly, a glint entered his eye, one that all the boys knew to signal that James had just gotten a brilliant idea. James looked around to make sure no one else was listening to them before he whispered. “Mates, want to do something fun?”


	5. Part 4: What Winter Was

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I am not Christian, so I have no idea what Christians do for Christmas. This (as well as any future winter chapters) are complete guesses based off of things I've heard my friends do.**

#### Part 4

#### What Winter Was

_Sirius _  
Winter meant returning home for the holidays, something Sirius was loath to do. He was excited at school. There were no tense family dinners. No recitations of articles from Pure Blood magazines. No talk about having to uphold certain appearances and traditional values. Sirius was able to smile, laugh, joke, and feel whenever and however he wanted. Going home meant none of that. It meant the leash was pulled taut, and the confidence he had gained in school was snipped right at the root.__

Of course though, Sirius had appearances to uphold at school. He was the confident, happy, guy who always smiled and made stupid jokes. He was a prankster with the best accomplices he could have. He was the okay student who charmed people into helping him study, or more accurately, copy their work. In the days leading up to the winter break, he couldn’t uphold that image. People noticed.

____

“Sirius? You look kind of glum. Is everything alright?” Lily asked as Sirius stared blankly at the fire in the Common Room, having chosen to forego dinner. Sirius looked up. “Sirius you’ve got bags under your eyes. Have you been sleeping?”

____

“I’m fine Evans just those end of the year tests you know?” Sirius said, his mask slipping back on.

____

She left hesitantly, but looked back to see Sirius looking into the fire again. It got worse as the week wore on. Peter had tried looping Sirius into a prank, but Sirius mumbled nonsense and hid on the Quiddich pitch. He looked out at the banners that flapped in the winter air. The dark storm cloud of anxiety and fear hovered over Sirius.

____

“You’ll freeze if you sit out here without even putting a warming charm on.” A voice said from behind him. Spinning around quickly, he caught a glimpse of Andromeda before a warming light encased him. Once the light faded, Sirius noticed he felt much warmer than before. “Hey cousin.” She said as she took a seat beside him, wrapping her Slytherin scarf tighter around her.

____

“Hey Andromeda.”

____

“Not looking foreword to the holidays?” She asked gently. 

____

“I didn’t realize how much I hated being at home until I got here. I mean everyone in Gryffindor is so…warm. They come from all different types of families and backgrounds, but they embrace everyone equally. I feel like I have a real family here, but now I have to go home-”

____

“And you’re dreading it because you know that they won’t see your growth the way you do. You’re upset that they’ll be mad about the changes you’ve made, and you aren’t willing to go back to living your life avoiding all the little issues that make your parents mad.”

"Also they’re wrong! I mean Remus is one of my best friends, and he’s a half-blood. Mom and dad always made it sound like they were idiots, but Remus is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met! Lily’s parents are Muggles, and she’s bloody brilliant! It’s just…they’re wrong, but they’d never listen to me about it.”

____

Andromeda nodded, and moved a strand of her brown hair out of her face. “The amazing thing about Hogwarts Sirius, is that it is our home. Even when our own houses where our blood relatives live don’t feel right, Hogwarts is here for us whenever we need it. Going back home for the holidays isn’t going to be easy, but I’ll be at your house for Christmas and New Years. You won’t have to suffer alone.” She nudged his shoulder with hers, smiling wide.

____

Sirius nudged her back, and ducked his head. “What if they don’t let me come back?” Sirius asked, finally voicing the thought that had plagued him since talk of winter break started. Andromeda smiled, but something in the way she did it looked menacing and filled with promise.

____

“If they even speak of it, I’ll come over to your house, and drag you out of there myself. Family tradition be damned.” She held up her pinky, and laughed when Sirius linked his with hers. “Besides, we rebels have to stick together.” She put an arm around his shoulders, and gave him a hug. “Now let’s get inside and eat some of that good ole Great Hall food. It’s bloody freezing out here.”

_Peter_  
The winter holidays at Peter’s house weren’t always a big deal. Both sets of his grandparents had died before he was born, and both of his parents were only children, so it was usually just them for the holidays. However, there were certain traditions that made Peter eager to return home. 

For example, on the first morning of the winter break, the family would get together to move some of Enid Pettigrew’s plants into the yard. There were certain magical plants that needed snowy climates to thrive. After having lived in the same house for years, Enid had perfected the art of growing the rare specimens. She had it down to an art form, where she knew which plants needed to be next to each other for maximum produce, versus which ones needed extra care. While it was a lot of work, the set up was always followed up with the first snowball fight of the break.

Christmas, in particular though, was the one time where Peter’s parents both stayed home and spent time with him. Usually because of their jobs they took parenting in shifts, but Christmas was the one time they were all together. They would sit on the floor among the mess of shed pine needles to open presents. They would have something simple and small for breakfast. His mom was a mediocre baker, so she ordered all the food for dinner from shops in advance. Delicious roast. Yorkshire pudding. Gingerbread cookies. Best of all though, was hot chocolate.

His mom, although terrible at cooking, made the most amazing hot chocolate he’d ever had. It was better than the ones you could buy at cafes. It was better than the ones they served at restaurants. It was even better than the kind the elves made at Hogwarts! His mom’s hot chocolate was amazing, and during the winter holidays she would make it for everyone. 

His dad would sit in his armchair, his magic stirring the tiny marshmallows into the hot mixture. Peter would always add extra marshmallows to his hot chocolate, making a gooey glob cover the surface of his cup. His mom would have her thin, red hair tied up in a bun as she sipped on her cup. Her goggle-like glasses would fog up each time the cup came close, but she would draw funny things in them to make Peter laugh. Peter’s dad would roll his eyes at his wife, but he would be the one to start the Christmas games.

They always started with a game of Exploding Snap. His dad was a master at the game, having been the first-year champion when he was at Hogwarts. Peter was slowly catching up to him though. After three rounds of that, they would break out the music. His mother loved singing out of tune with the Christmas carols. His father would join in, but only after a lot of cajoling. Peter would watch his mom dance and make a fool of herself, laughing when she dragged his dad in. 

When they got tired of that, they would spell his mom’s collection of toy Christmas elves to dance and clean up the mess from opening presents and eating. His dad would gather everyone around the tree so he could spell the ornaments and decorations. Some of the ornaments were miniature snow globes that would show moving scenes when the spell was cast on them. Other ornaments were pictures of family members that would start wishing them a Merry Christmas once animated. 

However, his father’s favorite thing was the train. A model train had been passed down through the Pettigrew family for several generations. The locomotive was bright yellow, with black and red designs on it. Behind it trailed several box cars with little toys that would occasionally peek out and wave as they passed by. Several green cattle cars followed the locomotive as well, allowing Peter to occasionally hear a “moo” throughout the day. Finally, the caboose was a bright blue. On the very back, a couple held each other and waved. During the winter season, Peter’s father would take it out. They would spend some time assembling it, deciding if they wanted a specific color pattern, or if they wanted to just throw them together. Once it was assembled, Mr. Pettigrew would wave his wand, and the train would glide throughout the house.

Peter always slept the best hearing the soft chugging of the train as it passed his room, the lingering taste of his mother’s hot chocolate on his lips. The scent of his home, and the meal would always put him right to sleep where he would have dreams of being the conductor of all things. 

_Remus_  
When Remus got to the train station and said goodbye to his friends, it took him a minute to find his father. Unfortunately, Remus’ mother couldn’t make it to the platform since it required some magic to get there. However, she had assured Remus in her letter that she would be waiting for them at Kings Cross. 

The minute Remus saw his father he rushed towards him. “Dad!” He yelled excitedly. Lyall spun, a look of worry in his eyes until he caught sight of his boy. He knelt and held his arms open so that Remus could rush into them. His dad’s hug was a bit too tight, but was comforting.

“Remus. I’m so happy to see you. You look…” His dad trailed off, his hand touching Remus’s scarred cheek. Remus couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, and his dad stood up. “We should go get your mother.” He said, sniffling a little bit. It had been a long time since his son had looked so happy. 

His dad took his suitcase and together they made their way to Kings Cross, where Hope Lupin was nervously biting her nails. Remus let go of his dad’s hand so he could run towards his mom. She held his face in her hands and smiled through tears. “Oh my baby boy’s grown up so much.” She muttered, kissing both his cheeks before pulling him into another hug.

The family walked through the station, the parents listening to their usually soft-spoken boy talk about his three best friends. Hope looked to her husband, wiping away tears. Their boy was happy and healthy, but more importantly than that, he had friends. Lyall couldn’t help but give Remus’s shoulder a squeeze.

“-and then Sirius…wait why are you both crying? Did you really miss me that much?” Remus said as he noticed how emotional his parents were. “We’re in public can you guys not…”Remus said looking around. 

“We’re just so proud of you honey. You look so happy.” Hope said.

“I _am_ happy mom.” Remus said softly.

The family pulled themselves together, and once they reached a safe spot, port-keyed home. Remus was hit with the smell of chocolate chip cookies when they appeared in the family living room. “Your mother got anxious and decided to bake your favorite.” Remus’ dad whispered as Hope rushed to grab the cookies from the kitchen. Remus smiled at the giant pile of cookies that balanced precariously on a slightly chipped plate.

They all gorged themselves on gooey cookies and glasses of cool milk in front of a warm fireplace. Remus let out a loud burp and cracked up when his mom let out an even louder one. She wiped a couple crumbs from the corner of her mouth, and then looked up at the ceiling. Remus’s dad had used the same charm that the professors used in the Great Hall to keep the candles floating.

“Tell me about school Remus. What kinds of things are you learning about?” Hope asked suddenly, turning on her side and holding a pillow against her chest. Remus jumped into tales of Charms classes. He talked about how he could make things float, and was able to do some pretty cool things. The entire time, Hope looked at her boy with wonder in her eyes. 

As a Muggle, she never could have imagined that this would be her life. Sitting on a couch with her husband and son, listening about tales of magic and mischief while candles floated above their heads. She glanced over to their bookshelf, which held on it the cake topper from her wedding. It was a Boggart that changed back and forth between the shapes of a vicious looking man and a field mushroom. It had been her first interaction with something magical, and it led her to where she was now. 

“Peter is amazing at herbology. Apparently his mom grows a bunch of plants and sells them to potions masters. Oh! James’ dad works for the Ministry, but I’m not really sure what he does. Whenever James talks about it, well James likes to brag so it usually rounds back into something about his money or cool things he has. He’s really cool though!” Remus rambled on.

Lyall looked over at his wife with a look that just said, _look at our beautiful boy and how happy he is_. Hope eventually cut off Remus’s stories so she could get a head start on dinner, but once they were back at the table, the stories resumed. Hope couldn’t be happier. 

_James_  
When James entered his house, there were decorations saying, “Welcome Home” and “Our Golden Gryffindor”. Euphemia rushed James into the living room and made him close his eyes while she got his homecoming gift. Fleamont, however, took his time hanging up his coat. He removed his gloves, placed them in the pocket of his jacket, stomped the snow off his shoes, and then stepped further into their house. 

Euphemia returned, the smile on her face emphasizing the wrinkles she was starting to develop. She placed the box in James’ hands, and then told him to open his eyes. James ripped open the box with vigor, shouting in surprise at the Gryffindor scarf inside. Euphemia had embroidered a roaring lion onto one of the sides, and the house crest onto the other. “Mom this is awesome!” James said rushing into a hug before throwing it around his neck.

Euphemia squeezed James tight, and then stood up. “Flea did you open the Floo for your father? He was supposed to come around now.” She muttered looking at the clock above the fireplace. Fleamont walked over to the fireplace and checked the spells. 

“It’s open, so he should be here any-” Suddenly, the fire turned bright green and the body of a large man was falling through onto the living room floor. Fleamont barely dodged the other man, who had rolled onto his back and was laughing giddily. “Dad what on earth-”

“Fleamont! My boy what are you doing over there? Come help an old man up won’t you?” Henry, also known as Harry, Potter said with a giant smile on his face.

Fleamont helped his dad stand up and brush the soot off his body. Fleamont’s father looked like an older version of himself. He wore large round glasses, and had thin hair atop of his head. He wore a full three-piece suit with a matching handkerchief and tie. The hat that had been on his head was lying on the carpet, and Fleamont bent to wipe and hang it. 

“James my grandson!” Harry said happily at the sight of his grandson. “Come give this old man a hug.” James smiled. His grandfather was a bit weird, but he loved him dearly. He had a way of talking that just made you want to listen to him. James loved hearing stories about his time serving on the Wizengmot. The way he described the cases was full of passion and a sense of justice that made James consider following a similar path. 

“Congratulations again on being sorted into Gryffindor my boy! I have brought a couple gifts for the occasion.” Harry pulled a small pouch from his pocket, and used a spell to return it to its normal size. “Shall I put them under the tree Euphemia, or do we care when we open presents?”

“I would say now is okay, but-”

At that moment the Floo came to life again, two elder people stepping through. One was dressed in traditional wizard robes, while the other wore a simple wintry blue dress with a matching cane. “Avia!” James yelled as he threw his arm around the woman. She wrapped her arms around him and smiled down. He turned to the other person “Avus!” The elder man looked slightly uncomfortable with the hug, but returned it nonetheless. “I didn’t think you two would be coming this year.”

“Well Femi told us about you getting accepted into Gryffindor, and we decided that we could make the trip this year. Although you can definitely expect your Avus to complain about the travel.”

“I hate the Floo. It gets soot everywhere.” James’ maternal grandfather stated.

“You know back in our day-”

“Mom, you can tell us all about how you had to fly on brooms or apparate everywhere after we eat. I’ve already got the kitchen set up, and the elves are working on setting up the food. Now that everyone is here we can-”

“James my boy come tell your old grandparents about your first year!” Harry said with a large smile.

Even as James rushed over to the couch to squish himself between his grandparents, Euphemia couldn’t help but smile at her boy. He riveted his old grandparents with tales of his time at school. Although Euphemia was a bit peeved that they spent so much time talking, and Fleamont was getting hungry grumpy, she couldn’t help but smile at James. Her little miracle was quite the storyteller. 


	6. Part 5: Year's End

#### Part 5

#### Year’s End

 _Remus_  
“We’ve been thinking about your issue with the forest, and we believe we’ve come up with another solution.” Ulri said as she walked with Remus through the castle grounds. “There is a house in Hogsmeade called the Shrieking Shack. Rumors started years ago about it being haunted, but Professor Dumbledore and I checked out the house. It would be possible to put some protection runes and such inside the house for your full moons.”

“But it’s all the way in Hogsmeade. How would I even get there?” Remus asked.

“Well that’s what I’m here to show you.” Ulri said as they approached the Womping Willow.

The tree had always scared Remus a bit. Its large, thick branches had crushed a many a bobble. Ulri raised her wand, and muttered a spell. Remus watched in amazement as the tree slowed down, seeming to move in slow motion. “Quickly now.” Ulri said as she led Remus to a secret passage under the tree.

Remus put his arms around himself. Being a werewolf was scary enough, but traveling underneath the Womping Willow to get to a house called the Shrieking Shack was on another level. The tunnel under the tree was made of more than dirt and roots, It looked like someone had placed stone steps and a path in there at some point. Eventually, Remus noticed they were walking uphill. 

Ulri approached a hatch, and looked to Remus. “This is the door. When you transform either Dumbledore or I will spell it to remain closed. When you wake you can use _finite incantatem_ to return to the castle.” Remus nodded, and watched as Ulri opened the hatch. “We tried to clean it up a bit, but the house is so run down that even the slightest hint of wind blows more dust out.”

Remus stepped in and looked around. There were stairs immediately to the right of the hatch, and on this floor there was only an run down front door. “We’ll place runes so that you in your werewolf form won’t want to come down here.” Ulri said seeing his hand reach out to poke the door. “Upstairs now.” Ulri said gently, leading the way. 

The stairs creaked under their shoes, and Remus wondered if they would collapse completely under their combined weight. However, Ulri walked confidently, so he tried to do the same. Ulri opened the door immediately in front of them. “This is where you would be spending the majority of your change.”

It was a wide room with a couple of patched up shudders, and a broken piano. The fireplace on the side looked like it hadn’t been used in centuries, and the large portrait that hung over it was so decayed with age that you couldn’t really tell what the picture used to be. A small ottoman was shoved into the corner, but it looked like it would explode into dust if you touched it. What used to be a dresser in the opposite corner was more like a pile of firewood now.

“There’s a bed for when your wolf gets tired out; although your wolf probably won’t care for it too much.” Ulri said as she brushed off the blankets the best she could. “If you want to try this then Dumbledore and I can start putting wards and runes in the house for you. If it’s too uncomfortable then we can go back to the forest until we figure something else out.”

Remus looked around at the place, which was probably a nice little house a couple centuries ago. Now it was just sad. Although Remus had that idea in his head, he couldn’t help but see the house for what it was. Sure it had furniture, no matter how old, and comforts, but a cage is still a cage no matter how you dress it up. 

“We’ll try it.” Remus said taking one more look around the house. Ulri nodded and led him back downstairs. “Do you think Dumbledore would let me bring some of my things here? Something to lighten it up a bit?” Ulri smiled, and shrugged.

“You’ll have to ask him. Although, he will probably say no.”

“Why?”

“To keep things from being traced back to you.”

With that they returned to the hatch, to the Womping Willows tunnel, and then returned to the castle grounds. Ulri cast a quick charm to clean them both of the dirt and dust that had stuck to their robes. Remus looked to the sky, where a waxing gibbous sat comfortably amongst the stars.

_James_  
The Great Hall was filled with students who were patiently waiting for the final feast before they all left for the summer holidays. Headmaster Dippet stood at the small podium to deliver the end of the year speech to the students and congratulate all the seventh years on finally making their way out into the adult world. As the crowd of students quieted down, the headmaster began his speech. 

“As we all sit together, remembering the years past, and looking on to the years to come, I invite you to indulge an old man and his memories of this past year. We began with one of the most interesting Sortings, with the longest Hatstall to date. Thank you Mr. Pettigrew.” Everyone gave a brief clap that had Peter blushing and puffing out his chest at the same time. 

“As the year progressed, our first years grew into competent and engaged students. Our sixth-year dueling club won their dueling competition against other wizarding schools. Our seventh years grew into capable adults, readying themselves for the world to come. With that I must give a congratulations to the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Onaforn in Ravenclaw house. Mr. Eric Onaforn proposed last night to Natalia Rholleas, who accepted. We wish you the best in your future together.” There was another round of applause along with some wolf-whistles and claps on the backs of the new couple.

“While I could go on and on about each of your accomplishments, I have a feeling you are wanting me to get to the point. So now it is time to announce the winner of the House Cup this year.” Everyone started to go quiet with anticipation. 

“In third place this year, with one thousand five hundred and seventy-six points, is Slytherin. Tied for second place with one thousand five hundred and ninety points are Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, making Ravenclaw our winners this year!” 

The Ravenclaw table went wild. First pumped in the air as cries of victory were shouted. A chant of their house name began, and it took the Headmaster several attempts to finally quiet down the over exuberant table. When they eventually settled, Headmaster Dippet couldn’t help but smile and run a hand over his long, white beard. With a flick of his hands, the banners in the hall all changed to the Ravenclaw crest. “And now, we feast!” The Headmaster said as food suddenly appeared on all of the tables.

“I can’t believe we tied with Hufflepuff.” Sirius whined as he shoved a bunch of food onto his plate. Peter nodded in agreement, following Sirius’s example and going straight for the mashed potatoes. James couldn’t help but look at his friends and think about their year together. 

“Why are you surprised? Your group alone probably cost us over two hundred house points with all your pranks and general misconduct.” Lily said as she spooned some green beans onto her plate. “I’m surprised that Slytherin was only fourteen points behind us.”

“Yeah but you’re forgetting all of Bella’s actions that lost them a shit ton of points. I mean you heard about the third-year…”

The group went quiet. Bellatrix had a particularly nasty prank pulled on a Hufflepuff girl who had stood up to her in front of everyone in the Great Hall. It wasn’t even a big deal really. Bellatrix was spouting Pureblood propaganda at a Muggle-born Hufflepuff boy, and the girl next to him had enough. She stood up and told Bellatrix, “At least his family doesn’t get off to people in their own family trees.” 

The insult had other Hufflepuffs staring in amazement, and laughing at Bellatrix. In typical Slytherin fashion, Bellatrix waited until the girl forgot about the insult before taking her revenge. A slipping spell, a nasty pricking spell, and the moving staircases resulted in a prank that left the girl with several broken bones and cuts all over her body. Professor Aeri, the astrology teacher, had been furious when she found the girl at the bottom of the staircase. She deducted four hundred points from Slytherin, and put Bellatrix in detention for the rest of the year.

“At least we’ve only got to deal with her for four more years, then we’re home free of my crazy cousin!” Sirius said quickly shoving some bread into his mouth. James laughed when his friend began choking, and Remus had to pat his back. “Besides, our pranks are much better than hers anyways. Ours are funny.” Sirius continued when he could breathe again. “And James is a bloody genius at making pranks. You guys aren’t even ready for what we’ve got planned for next year.”

“We’re never going to win the House Cup are we?” Lily asked Remus who happened to be next to her.

James watched as his friend smiled. “We’re just a bunch of marauders.” 

“I like the sound of that.” Peter said, perking up. 

“Yeah…I like it too.” James muttered with a mischievous smirk lighting up his face. 

_Sirius_  
The train ride was supposed to be fun. After all it was his last hurrah until the next school year started. However, James was stuck in the bathroom after eating too much from the trolley, Peter had passed out a couple hours ago, and Remus was fixated on whatever was in his book. “Just take a walk Sirius, I’m trying to read-” 

“But Remmy I’m bored.” Sirius said flopping dramatically across his friend’s lap.

Remus looked down at the drama queen he called a friend, and rolled his eyes. “I told you that you should have brought something to entertain yourself. It’s going to be another hour or so before we get to the station.” Remus said gently prying his book out from under his friend, and checking to make sure the pages weren’t bent.

“I don’t wanna go home.” Sirius whined, pouting as he looked up at his friend. “My house is all stuffy and boring. Mom’s probably going to yell at me about being a disgrace to our family, and force me to read more of her horrible articles from Purebloods a Practice.” Sirius frowned. “What are you doing this summer Remmy? Can I stay with you?”

“I would say yes, but mom wants to go to America this summer. She said something about there being a cool canyon out west or something.”

“Do you think I could sneak into Peter’s house?”

“Sure but he won’t be there either. Remember? His mom is going to the Herbologist Convention in Argentina. Peter complained about it for a whole dinner.”

“What about-”

“Sirius you’re going to have to stay with your family this summer.” Remus interrupted.

Remus closed his book and placed it next to him. “You can always write to us Sirius. I mean, it may take longer for Peter and I to reply since we’ll be farther away, but we’re here for you when you need us.”

“I know. It’s just…I’m really happy with you guys. You all don’t mind that I’m loud and get into all sorts of trouble. I mean we’ve seen James; he has no problem being loud and starting trouble. If anything, he spurs me on. I just don’t want to go home and forget you guys.” Sirius mumbled.

Remus shook his head at his friend and carefully ran his hand through his hair. “You’re not going to forget us you idiot. Even if you don’t write I know I will. Plus do you really think James of all people is going to be able to shut up about whatever cool thing his parents have in store for him this summer? You’ll be lucky if a day goes by where you aren’t faced with something that reminds you of us.”

Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but Remus kept going. “If you’re so worried about it, then here. I was going to make it nice and send out copies, but you’re being impatient.” Remus pulled a photo out of the back of his book. It was the four of them outside of The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. All of their cheeks were pink; although, it wasn’t clear if that was from the cold or if it was from the enormous amounts of butterbeer that they had consumed prior to the picture. 

“Matilda Raywater took it for some kind of photo contest, and gave me a copy.” Remus said as he handed it to Sirius, who looked at the photo fondly. “When you’re missing us you’ll have something to look at.” Remus said softer.

“I’m hanging this in my room Remmy. You can’t stop me. I’m going to look at it everyday until the new school year starts.” Sirius said with a sudden burst of energy.

Remus rolled his eyes at his friend, and then shoved Sirius off his lap. His dark haired friend let out a squawk so loud it woke Peter. He rubbed his eyes and grumbled. “Wachu doin so loud?” Sirius, noticing another one of his friends was finally awake to annoy, leaped onto the seat next to Peter, and started dramatically talking about how mean Remus was. Peter looked at Remus confused, but then rolled his eyes and handed Sirius a chocolate frog.

_Peter_  
The station was filled with parents and younger siblings looking around for their family members. It was a bit overwhelming to be honest. Peter stuck close to his friends, who were trying their best to find an empty spot so they could say goodbye. “Peter!” Peter’s head turned to see his mom elbowing her way through the crowd. 

Peter grabbed the back of Sirius and James’ shirts and pulled them towards his mom. Remus nearly fell on his butt with how hard James’ yanked him along. “Peter!” His mom yelled more excited. Peter let go of his luggage cart as he ran to hug his mom. 

Her goggle-like glasses were still on the top of her head, and her wiry hair was frizzing out around her face. She pulled Peter into a hug and then looked around. “It’s so good to see you. I seem to have lost your dad somewhere in the crowd.” She looked around once more before realizing that there was more than one child in front of her. “Are these the friends you’re always mentioning in your letters Peter?” His mom asked looking at the three other boys curiously.

“Y-yeah. Mom this is Sirius Black, James Potter, and Remus Lupin.” Peter said, pointing at each of his friends as he mentioned their names. Enid Pettigrew looked at the first two boys with a look of familiarity, as if by knowing their last names she already new them. However, as she looked at Remus, her gaze changed ever so slightly.

“I’ve never met a Lupin. What’s your mom’s maiden name?” She asked curious. Remus looked at Peter, and then cleared his throat nervously.

“You wouldn’t know her. She’s a Muggle.” Remus said nervously. Enid’s eyes widened at the statement, but after glancing at her son, she shrugged. If Peter saw something in this boy, then he had to be more than meets the eye. As much as she loved her son, he was a bit transparent. Sirius was bouncing where he stood, and if she had heard correctly, he was a rebel. He would indulge Peter in the mischievous parts of his personality. James, the obvious leader of the group, would praise Peter. He would make him feel clever, and stroke his ego. Remus was the only one she couldn’t quite place within Peter’s personality. He was timid, and terribly shy. Even though they hadn’t talked of anything too deep, he couldn’t look the woman in her eyes. 

Having worked with dangerous things her whole life, Enid knew exactly what Remus brought. He was secretive. He would keep his secrets until he died. He was a survivor, of what, she didn’t know. However, she knew her boy. Remus probably would lie to protect the other three, even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process. Peter and the other three could be as mischievous as they wanted, and Remus would probably be the one to save them. 

“Well, it was a pleasure meeting you three. However, you should probably find your parents. I hope to hear more about you all.” Enid said with a smile that was intended to be gentle, but due to her general features, looked more like a sneer. The boys all hugged before going off to find their parents. “They’re an interesting group.” Enid said to her son, who was struggling a bit with his cart. “Let’s go find your father.”

They roamed the station, eventually finding Owen Pettigrew standing next to a very frustrated looking Walburga and Orion Black. “Enid! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Oh and you found Peter.” Owen said, causing the Blacks to look at her. Enid approached with a polite smile on her face. 

“Ah Enid, it’s been a while. Have any new plants I might be interested in?” Orion asked in his usual stoic manner. Orion Black was a bit of a mystery to most people, but one could say that Enid Pettigrew knew him the best. He specialized in making dangerous potions, and then creating antidotes to them. He was also skilled in runes when they went to school together, but Orion’s potions skills were highly sought after. It was how the Black family kept their money coming in…well that and the black market sales that Orion occasionally did. After all, Enid knew exactly what kinds of potions someone would make with her ingredients. She was no idiot, and if Orion paid nicely for her wares, then she had no problem turning a blind eye to the shadier side of his business.

“It’s not quite harvest time yet, so I still have to see what makes it through the season.” Enid said, placing her hand on Peter’s back. “I actually just ran into your son, Sirius is it?” Peter’s eyes widened at the statement. “He’s good friends with my Peter here. Gryffindor, who would have thought a Black would find their way there?” Enid’s voice was gentle, but a hint of challenge rested in the words. 

“Yes. Who would have thought, indeed.” Orion said calmly.

“I swear that child is trying to test my patience.” Walburga said, crossing her arms.

“Well he was with James Potter, and a boy named Remus when I last saw him.”

“Potter?” Walburga said, her back straightening. 

Everyone who knew about the Sacred Twenty-Eight knew about the Potters. They were famous within the pureblood community for having started out as a small no-name family that no one paid attention to, to suddenly becoming one of the wealthiest families outside the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Apparently Fleamont Potter created a cosmetic potion that tamed unruly hair. The family was loaded, but full of obnoxious Gryffindors. “Well at least the boy has taste.” Walburga huffed. 

The two families parted after a little bit more conversation. As Peter headed home with his family, he couldn’t help but look back at the Blacks and wonder what made Sirius hate them so much. Sure, they were rude, but they had influence. In the mind of little Peter Pettigrew, influence meant power, and power meant everything. 


	7. Second Year (1972-1973)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya everyone. Not really sure if this is something people are still interested in, but figured I'd post this anyways since it's almost my favourite holiday (Halloween). Have a spooky season everyone and most importantly...
> 
> **GO VOTE**

**Second Year (1972-1973)**  
**Part 1**  
**A Rocky Start**

_Remus_

It was weird coming into the Great Hall and knowing exactly where to be. Remus could remember just one-year prior, coming into the Great Hall and feeling like everything was a little too overwhelming. As he sat with his group of friends, they chuckled at the first years who nervously walked into the hall as if they had never been that anxious before their Sorting. They made a complete riot every time someone was sorted into their house. When the feast came, it was almost like nothing had changed at all. 

James was still loud and a bit of a show off. He was telling everyone about how he got to meet the Chudley Cannons team at one of their professional matches. He showed off the autographed photo he got with them. Peter was talking about how cool Argentina was when he was able to interrupt James’ spiel. Sirius was oddly quiet, looking somewhat dazed as he mechanically put food into his mouth, swallowed, and then picked up another spoonful. Remus, surprisingly, found himself talking with Lily Evans.

She was bright, and talked about how hard it was living with a Muggle family. She mentioned how her sister was mad at her the entire summer. “Petunia was a bit jealous I think. It really didn’t help that mom and dad were so impressed by everything I’ve learned. They were always asking me to tell them about the school and what I can do. It’s funny though because it’s nothing compared to what some of the seventh years can do.” 

“My mom was the same way. She’s a Muggle, so she kept wanting to look at my textbooks and understand everything I’m learning. I even caught her reading through my Charms book one night.” Remus said with a laugh. 

“My dad did the same thing!” Lily said with a laugh.

“What are you two talking about?” James said, inserting himself into the conversation.

Remus went to explain, but Lily answered. “We’re having our own conversation.” She looked mad, but Remus wasn’t really sure why. Every now and then, Remus felt that Lily and James would end up hexing each other before ever being able to have a casual conversation. “Besides, weren’t you busy talking about all the cool things you got to do during your break?” 

“They weren’t that cool.” James said flippantly. 

“You got to meet the Chudley Cannons!” Peter interrupted. 

“Yeah, but it was no big deal. I mean sure we had front row seats, but they didn’t even win the game.” 

With that, people were asking James more about the game. Lily scowled, and then turned back to Remus. “He’s so annoying.” She stated. “Did you hear what he said to Severus today?” Remus shook his head, and Lily frowned. “He said that he had dibs or something on me, like I’m some kind of thing. Then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, he cast a spell on Severus that tied his legs together. It’s not even the first day, and Severus is already in the Hospital Wing because of him.” 

“James is a…complicated person.” Remus said. 

The students went to leave for the night when a hand fell upon Remus’ shoulder. Turning, Remus caught sight of Professor Dumbledore. “I hope you had a good break Mr. Lupin. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a conversation before you retire for the night.” Remus nodded, and followed the professor to his office. 

When they entered, a woman was already standing in the room. She had long white hair that nearly brushed the backs of her knees. Her robes weren’t typical. In fact, Remus wasn’t sure if they were robes at all. They didn’t cover her shoulders, but the sleeves were long. As she turned to face the two, Remus noticed deep-set claw marks on her throat. “This is Professor Grivina Hellewise. She’s the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and you both share something in common.” 

The woman smiled gently, which caused Remus to notice that her eyes were like the wolf’s. She cast a quick spell on her throat, and then a disembodied voice began speaking. _“Hello Master Lupin. It is a pleasure to meet you.”_ The woman’s mouth didn’t move. _“Headmaster Dippet has asked me to help you with your transformations while I am here. One can say I am experienced with dealing with newly transformed werewolves.”_

“Professor Hellewise worked with children who had been transformed prior to her job here. She’s the best in her field.” The headmaster said with a smile. 

“Oh.” Remus said, not really sure what to say in this situation. 

The professor just smiled and tilted her head slightly. _“We don’t have to discuss everything tonight, but I would like to hear more about how your summer transformations were.”_ With that the two sat down, and began discussing their plan for the year. 

  


_Sirius_

Being back at school was weird to put it lightly. Sure, Sirius remembered everything and everyone from his first year, but things felt different after the break. Although, break was a little too light a term to describe Sirius’ time at home. Break implied some kind of release of tension. Sirius got none. 

From the moment he got home, his mother was angry. She had basically yanked him out of the platform and into a Floo. His father didn’t even look at him. Once at home, it was lectures. Kreature put away all of his bags, and set his owl upstairs. Walburga had the house elf bring down all of the Gryffindor things from his luggage and set them on the table. 

Sirius was sat down. Regulus lingered in the doorway like one of the castle ghosts ready to slip away at a moments notice. Walburga entered, her nose in the air and a general aura of disdain surrounding her. She crossed her arms at the red and gold array across her table. Scarves, hats, pictures, and small knick-knacks were laid out neatly across the table. Sirius couldn’t even look at her. 

“Do we even need to discuss this?” She asked poking a scarf with a Gryffindor lion on it. For a moment Sirius thought it would be okay. She would be angry, throw a tantrum, yell a bit, and then he’d pack all his things up and not open it up till he returned to school. However, those thoughts were completely thrown out the window when his mother spotted the picture Remus had given him on the train. Her eyes narrowed as she picked it up.

“I can understand wanting to fit in with the people around you, Sirius.” She began, her eyes not leaving the photograph. “I can understand adapting to uncomfortable situations, making the best of a worst case scenario.” She looked up, over the edge of the picture. “What I can’t understand is the lack of effort on your part.” She set the picture down on the table. “When I heard that you were spending time with the Potter boy, I thought that maybe I had taught you something.” 

She pushed the chair back, and sat down, her eyes harsh as they fixated on Sirius. “While he’s not in the best of bloodlines, he’s at least mostly a Pureblood. The same goes for the Pettigrew boy.” She paused, lacing her fingers together in front of her. The dark nail polish glinted almost threateningly in the light of the dining room. “What I can’t understand is why you would not look beyond your House for people worthy of you. The Longbottoms; although completely unseemly from Pureblood tastes, have a son in your House and year. There are plenty of Pureblood children in Slytherin, yet Bellatrix wrote that you only ever spoke to Andromeda.” 

“Mom-” Sirius tried to interject. 

“I’m not finished.” Walburga snapped, enunciating each word.

Sirius ducked his head. “There are plenty of children at Hogwarts who are more worthy of your time than the children you choose to spend it with.” She leaned back slightly in her chair. “I’m trying to understand Sirius.” She said coldly. “I am trying to understand what these kids offer you that the children from far more respectable families don’t.” Sirius realized she was expecting an answer. 

“They make me happy, mom.” Sirius said softly. She raised an eyebrow, obviously expecting more than just that. “They like me, and accept me for who I am. James and Peter make me laugh. Remus is smart, and he’s a good person. He helps me with my classes, and doesn’t get mad at me when I ask the same question a million times. He’s patient, and explains things till I understand them. Peter is smart, and he knows everything about anyone. James is funny and adventurous. He reminds me how to have fun and-”

Walburga held up a hand, obviously having had enough. “Sirius. You are going to school so that you may learn magic, graduate, obtain a prestigious job, and marry someone from a suitable bloodline. You do not go to school to have _fun_. You do not go to school to find _happiness_.” She nearly spat the word as if just saying it physically hurt her. 

She stood then, seeming to have come to a sort of realisation. “Obviously I have made a mistake.” She said as she silently pushed the chair back under the table. “I’ve let these childish whims go on for too long. Kreature!” She snapped. The house elf appeared quickly. Sirius felt a sudden and uncontrollable fear climb its’ way down his throat. “Dispose of these things. Also start preparing Sirius’ breakfast at 7:30, so that we have ample time to correct this lapse in proper judgment that my son seems to suffer from.”

“Yes Mistress Black.” 

“Mom!”

“Sirius I have indulged your childish fantasies for too long. From now on, you’ll learn the proper way to be a Black. Kreature.” 

The house elf snapped his fingers, and the Gryffindor memorabilia went up in flames. Sirius shouted in shock and devastation as his things were reduced to ash. Walburga left the room as Sirius touched the ashes of his things tears streaming down his face. Regulus silently slipped away, and Kreature awkwardly patted Sirius’ back.

“Do not worry Master Sirius. They are just things. Mistress Black will get you better ones.” Sirius couldn’t even respond. To say that summer break was an enjoyable time filled with travel and adventure would be a lie. It was a summer where Sirius broke, and wondered if he’d ever be able to be happy as long as he was with his family. 

  
  
  
  
_Peter_

It was so good being back at Hogwarts. Peter, Sirius, and James were sitting in the library looking over some books. They were hoping to find some inspiration for new pranks, but weren’t having much luck. “Where is Remus?” James asked for the third time. 

It had only been a couple weeks since the start of the school year, but the boys had barely seen the fourth member of their friend group. Whenever they asked him about it, he just said something about extra help with class, or tutoring. Either way, whenever Remus mentioned it, Peter knew it was a lie.

He may have followed him one night when he made an excuse to leave in the middle of their study session. Remus was meeting with the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher almost every week. Which in it of itself was weird, Peter thought. First off, why on earth would Headmaster Dippet hire a werewolf to teach their class? That was a safety hazard at the very least. Secondly, they were learning basic dueling etiquette in DADA. Remus was too smart to need any help with anything they’d learned so far. 

This got Peter thinking. Once Peter found something worth looking into, he couldn’t stop until he figured it out. He had to pick and pry it open, so that he could study all its components. So Peter started looking. He wasn’t about to disappoint his other friends with a half-investigated story though, so he kept quiet.

“Have you found anything interesting Peter?” James asked as he closed the book that he had been skimming through. Peter shook his head. “Shame. We’re starting off the year slow since Remus has been running off without us. I mean the first years haven’t even seen a Marauders prank yet!” 

“Marauders?” Sirius asked perking up.

“Well I figured we should have a title, and when Remus mentioned it last year, I really liked the ring of it. So I figured instead of just listing out all our names, we’d just call ourselves the Marauders.” 

“Far out.” Peter and Sirius said at the same time.

Remus suddenly burst into the library. His arms were piled high with books, and he looked around almost frantically for his friends. Once he spotted them, he rushed over to them and slammed the books down on the table, causing Madame Prince to shush them and give them an angered look. 

“Sorry I’m late you guys. I got caught up at tutoring.” He said breathlessly as he squeezed next to Peter. “I found a couple of jinxes that shouldn’t be too hard to learn. One of them temporarily zips someone’s mouth shut. What are you guys looking at me like that for?” Remus asked as he moved the books.

“Why do you have so many books on meditation?” Peter asked. 

“Are you that stressed out Remus? You had top marks last year, and this year has barely started. Is something up?” James asked.

“No! No! I’m just-I just wanted to look into it for myself.” Remus stuttered. 

Peter turned the stack of books and felt his eyes widen. “Finding Your True Self’, ‘My Inner Eye And Me’, and ‘Looking Beyond The Body’. Those are some weird books Remus.” Peter said as he attempted to pull one towards him. However, Remus snatched it out of his hands, almost frantically.

“It’s just a little study thing. We’re planning pranks aren’t we? Here I have some spells to look into. I was thinking we could try this one first since the others require a bit more planning.” Remus continued rambling, but Peter’s eyes were fixed on the books. Peter started thinking. Once Peter set his mind towards figuring out something, he didn’t stop picking until he unraveled it completely.  
  
  
  
_James_

“I can’t believe that we have to clean the stands. It was our first prank of the year and it was little.” James complained as he picked up an empty wrapper from under one of the benches. “Our team wasn’t even playing it was bloody Slytherin and Ravenclaw.” He huffed as he stuffed the empty wrapper into a bag. 

“Technically you did nothing wrong too.” Peter said. “I mean you asked him to politely shut his mouth. It’s not your fault that that stupid Lestrange needed some help doing that.” Peter said as he made a face at a bit of gum on the bottom of one of the benches.

“Can you two stop complaining and just clean up?” Remus asked testily. “We’re going to be here all night if you guys don’t pick up the pace. Sirius is already almost finished with his section.” Remus said motioning towards their unusually quiet friend. 

“It was a harmless prank.” James whined. “I mean honestly if stupid Lestrange could shut his mouth then we wouldn’t have any issues. It’s not my fault he’s rude and decided to spout crap at me.” James said, taking a seat on the bench. “It’s like he doesn’t even know who I am! I mean sure he’s in the Sacred Twenty-eight, but his family is just a bunch of wannabe’s. They don’t match the Potters at all in terms of wealth, brains, or beauty.” James said snappily.

“You’ve got that right James.” Peter said as he sat beside his annoyed friend. 

It was unfair that James be punished for something that wasn’t even that big a deal. No one got hurt. Lestrange was able to get his mouth unzipped without even having to go to the Hospital Wing. Only a couple people saw it, and sure one of them was the hard-ass astronomy teacher, but still no harm no foul. James could feel the injustice of it all getting to him.

“I mean who does Lestrange even think he is? Sure he’s a Pureblood, but does that even mean anything in this day and age? Plus he whined about the whole thing like I had spelled his legs to jelly. He’s such a drama queen!” James said with a huff as he resumed picking up trash. Peter was understanding though, mentioning how the Lestrange family wasn’t even one of the more influential Pureblood families. James didn’t need the validation from his friend, but it made him feel better anyways. 

As James looked over to Sirius, he noticed his friend was tense. His eyes were kind of glazed over as he picked up his trash and put it away. “Oi! Sirius?” James called. His friend snapped out of whatever thought was going on in his head. “I know I’m talking a lot of smack about Purebloods, but you’re cool. You know that right?”

“Yeah James. I get it.” Sirius said weakly. 

“You’re brilliant mate!” Peter piped up, looking to James immediately after.

“Pete’s right mate, you’re wicked cool. Although the rest of your family is kinda creepy.” 

“Bellatrix is a piece of work.” Remus said piping up.

“Bloody nightmare she is.” Peter muttered with a shiver. 

The boys were about to continue talking when Professor Aeri spoke up. “Boys, you need to do less talking and more cleaning if you want to get dinner before dark.” She said as she reclined in her chair, a hand-held telescope pointed to the sky. “Also stop bad-mouthing other students. You may not get along, but you are classmates and deserve the same respect that you give any other student. In regards to blood purity, you better watch the way you speak Mister Potter. There are some families that would be incredibly offended by your words, and they would not take kindly to it.” She lowered the telescope and then faced the boys. “Am I clear?”

“Yes professor.” James said between clenched teeth. 

“Good. By the way Potter, you missed a wrapper.”


End file.
